Sun Apr 01 05:41:27
I mean, in substance Sinclair isn't any more disgusting than CNN or MSNBC; their news anchors simply fly under multiple banners instead of a single one. It's disingenuous and rather disturbing to see so many people reading from the same script, but it's wrong to single Sinclair out when other news companies that reach millions of viewers likewise have their own internal marching orders.

The bigger problem is the long-running oligarchization of the media, which has allowed a mere six corporations to own 90% of the entire industry. There is nothing new in this, it's been going on for two decades now. Telecommunications Act of 1996 really fucked everything up.

Of course the Trump administration was never likely going to help fix the problem. But it's not like any mainstream Republican or Democrat was ever going to seriously fight against this trend either. Narrowing this story to a "fuck Sinclair Group and fuck Ajit Pai" rant seriously overlooks just how diseased mainstream media has become.

Paramount
Member

Sun Apr 01 06:19:23
The president of Baltimore-based Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., which owns the local Fox television affiliate, was arrested in 2004 and charged with committing a perverted sex act in a company-owned Mercedes.

Smith and Mary DiPaulo, 31, were charged with committing an unnatural and perverted sex act.

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Unnatural sex act? Did they have sex with a goat?

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The Sinclair Broadcast Group has been controversial due to Smith's broadcasting decisions. Smith airs what many believe to be only right-wing viewpoints and has cancelled news reports that do not lend themselves to support of the President George W. Bush White House, as with the Ted Koppel Nightline broadcast in 2004 on soldiers killed in Iraq.

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In a speech to business executives in New York (on December 16, 2016), Jared Kushner said that Donald Trump’s campaign had struck a deal with Sinclair to provide extra access and coverage. Kushner said the agreement gave Sinclair Broadcasting stations special access to Trump during the campaign and in exchange, Sinclair would broadcast their Trump interviews across the country without commentary.[7]

Sinclair Broadcasting has hired Boris Epshteyn as their chief political analyst. Mr. Epshteyn was previously a spokesperson for Donald Trump's campaign. All Sinclair stations are required to air Mr. Epshteyn's commentary nine times per week. [8] He was born in Moscow, Soviet Union and emigrated to the United States as a child.[9]

Sun Apr 01 06:30:24
Looks to me that the USA has indeed been infiltrated by Russians. Russian Jews. But yea, let's blame Putin and not Netanyahu.

Rugian
Member

Sun Apr 01 06:44:42
jergul,

That was a quotation.

Rugian
Member

Sun Apr 01 06:52:56
"So you are basically saying that there is a problem that Jews controls too much of your media."

Oy vey

Paramount
Member

Sun Apr 01 07:06:47
Maybe a bit off topic, but:

"In an interview with NBC previewed on Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that some of the people recently indicted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller for disrupting the 2016 U.S. election might be — gasp — Jewish.

[...]

Maybe they’re not even Russians,” he said. “Maybe they’re Ukrainians, Tatars, Jews, just with Russian citizenship. Even that needs to be checked. Maybe they have dual citizenship. Or maybe a green card. Maybe it was the Americans who paid them for this work. How do you know? I don’t know.”

Sun Apr 01 08:40:46
Putin should know what he is talking about. He is not stupid.

Now, when all these people are hurting Russia – how much more will Russia take until they will have to send out agents to eliminate these troublemakers?

Hot Rod
Revved Up

Sun Apr 01 08:46:06
As long as they are not in the same market and they tell the truth I don't see a problem.

I'm assuming their local news is relevant.

Aeros
Member

Sun Apr 01 10:12:54
I would argue old media is consolidating under a few banners in order to survive. The internet is eating their fucking lunch. You can go onto youtube and have dozens of competing discussions on any issue from gun rights to whether or not the earth is flat. I can't remember when the last time I watched my local affiliate was because it just does not compare to that.